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2013-04-23 - Brute and the Beast
A sunny spring afternoon in Central Park finds a...colorful visitor moving among its' grounds. Well, admittedly there are already some weird folks that hang out in Central Park, but Hercules still tends to draw a lot of attention. Not that the Lion of Olympus minds! No sir, he's all smiles as he greets passers-by. Indeed, he's had a fruitful afternoon of HEROIC DEEDS! Deeds like...helping a couple little old ladies cross the street, and presently....getting a kitten out of a tree. Which has elicited a bit of a mixed reaction given that he apparently doesn't believe in undergarments under that kilt and has climbed a tree in full view of the little girl and her mother whose pet has escaped. Herc doesn't mind "small" heroic deeds, though. It's been a quiet afternoon and he's met all sorts of interesting people, brightened a few days with tales of glory, and generally found things pretty relaxing. Maybe he'll go and get a keg or three once he's done here. Speaking of which, he hops out of the the tree, carefully cradling a tiny little furball in his meaty hands. He lands next to a furiously blushing mother and a preteen girl whose eyes are presently covered despite her attempts to pull them down, as she's not sure why her mom suddenly did that. "Here you are!" Hercules speaks, his voice a deep and rich sound laced with warmth and humor as he hands the kitten back to the little girl and then ruffles her hair gently, "Not quite the Nemean Lion, but a worthy challenge nonetheless!" He laughs once more, and starts to stroll on his way yet again, whistling an ancient tune as he goes. A raging lunatic out in the park is a normal part of the day for Central Park. One in a toga abit less so unless the fraternities are having an initiation or the crew of Animal House have somehow been cross-dimsniaonlly teleported. But, flying low through the atmosphere, her vision might not be as good as Kal-El's, but Diana can recognize a near figure that is so familiar to catch her attention. Then, recognition hits as she flies down to get a better look. Her eyes flash, and a jolt goes through her as the Amazon Princess recognizes one that she thought was imprisoned forever for his crimes against hre family. With a low sonic boom Diana lands over in the dirt, heels stamping down HARD from the impact as she yells, "HERAKLES!" Her eyes flashing with rare fire and anger, "HOw did you escape your imprisonment? Come with me quietly so that you can be returned to Hades' realm." Hercules actually flinches slightly at Diana's roar of his name, though he comments quietly, "Normally the screaming of my name doesn't start until matters are more private..." He turns about, looking both curious and mildly perplexed, and blinking several times as he sees who it is that addresses him, "Hades' Realm? What madness do you speak of, woman? I've not set foot in that dismal place 'ere I dragged Cerberus out for Eurystheus. Ha! That craven fool cowered behind his throne when I laid the beast at his feet!" Herc smiles wistfully at the memory, but it fades after a moment, turning to a more thoughtful frown before he asks the obvious question.... "Do I know you?" Wonder Woman's arms flash in front of her, "You assaulted my mother and my kin. Do not play whatever twisted games you or whomever is using you as a lackey are pursuing, Herakles. Who has freed you that wishes to use you? Ares? Hades? Circe?" She's on the defensive now, watching him warily, but giving him the chance to surrender, her eyes flashing at him like a hawk. She circles around from afar, "Come with me peaceably, and it will reflect well upon you." She's watching him, ready for an attack. "I...what?" Hercules frowns deeply, "You are clearly mistaken, fair warrior. Ares and Hades likely would not spit upon me were I ablaze...in fact Ares probably would have set the fire himself..." He shakes off the absent thought and looks back to Diana, frowning, "And I know not of Circe save for the tales of mighty Odysseus." The frown turns more towards a scowl, "And I am lackey to no one. I know not who your mother is, but if I did assault her, then my wits must not have been about me. I have faced countless foes, but I would not raise my fist to any woman save to protect the innocent! Not even jealous Hera herself, who sought to slay me in my youth!" His eyes seem to be telling the truth, but are not those whom he might work with capable of spinning such things? Diana's pride wars with her training then. Which is that he has made no aggressive move towards her or any of the innocents in the area, and she can see no large scale property damage. Fortunately, she has ways of assessing the truth. "If you are telling what is the truth, then you will let me tie you up to prove it." Her hand goes over to her lasso. If Hercules truly is not whom she thinks he is, then he will know that her lasso would confirm what he says. Or so the quick logic she comes to tells her as a compromise between her pride and her training. "Normally -that- doesn't happen until somewhere more private either..." Hercules notes, though while his tone does ripple with slight amusement, he's still frowning somewhat. "But if it will soothe your fury, then place whatever bonds you wish on me, though I fail to see how tying me up will discern truth...." Still, he holds out his hands, somewhere between perplexed and curious as to just what Diana's about. "May I at least know your name before you bind me, fair one?" Yeah, he puts on his best smile for that request. Wonder Woman's eyes flash, "I am Diana, Princess of Themyscira, and daughter of Queen Hippolyta of the Amazons." She does not go on now with his litany of crimes then over. But, at the very least he does not seem antagonistic, so she moves forwards over with the lasso, ready to shoot it about him then over to try and place it upon him to hold him down if he does not move further. "Hippolyta?!?" Hercules blinks several times, "I -certainly- never assaulted Hippolyta." He smiles wistfully once more, "Things were going quite well until Hera poked her nose into matters, stirring up the Amazons and making them think I was abducting her." He pauses, then frowns, "Though things did not stay so pleasant afterwards. She is her father's daughter, 'tis true..." Still, he doesn't budge from his position, waiting for the lasso, confident he can break out of any bonds placed on him if he needs to (heh heh). Wonder Woman's eyes flash, "We shall see." Her lasso drapes over Hercules, and she says, venom in her voice, "What did you do to my mother?" The lasso bringing out not only the spoken truth, but the believed and actual truth. OF course, things are much more confusing over than the angry eyed Princess can remotely attest to.. Hercules doesn't even seem to realize he's under any sort of enchantment, speaking plainly, "Well, I stole through her window, seeking to claim her girdle as one of the labors I was tasked with by Eurystheus. As I crept near, she awoke and snatched a knife from beneath her pillow, holding it to my throat and meeting my gaze. Her gaze lingered for several moments, and then she kissed me. Or I kissed her, but either way, there was kissing. And then she threw off her covering, and began working at my belt...." And what follows is an explicit yet not really vulgar play-by-play account of Hercules making sexy time with Hippolyta, which may be rather horrifying, though Diana can of course cut him off at any point...Er..figuratively cut off, please...not literally. Wonder Woman's cheeks flash scarlet. She knows that is NOT what happened. She has seen not only the pain in her mother's face in remembrance of it, but the suffering of all of the other Amazons. But no magic on Earth could have blocked the effects of her lasso, and hidden such a thing so deeply. Then, frying pan meet poor raw egg as her cheeks go scarleter as she realizes the truth as it bludgeons past her own pride, "Oh Hera Forgive Me. You are from the other world." And yanks the lasso so fast back to her side it might as well be on -fire- should it stay for a moment more. "I am sorry." "Other world?" Hercules looks confused for a moment, but honestly, he's not -that- dim, and after just a half moment realization does dawn on his face. "OH! Yes, that would likely explain it. Truly I had forgotten about that." Being exiled from Olympus at present, he hasn't had to deal with the more cosmological implications of the worlds merging...at least not until now. He reaches up and rubs the back of his head, looking a touch sheepish, "I....am sorry as well. Though I know little of your world, your rage against this...other version of myself...seems as though it is rightly earned. It troubles me to think of myself as..." He can't even bring himself to say the words, so he settles on, "Something like that." Wonder Woman shakes her head, cheeks still scarlet, "I.. Should be ashamed of myself, for having mistaken you for such a fiend and an enemy and treating you as such when you have done me no wrong, nor my people and my mother. I formally apologize for my own belligerence and wrongs in my treatment of you." She hates apologizing. But in this case, it is justified. And she's mentally whamming her own pride for having been so aggressive against one who did not deserve it. "Do we look so similar?" Hercules cannot help but ask, "Most of the differences between the worlds seem more pronounced to my eyes." He shakes his head, and raises a hand dismissively, "Think nothing of it. I..." His expression actually grows...profoundly sad for but a moment, "I have no right to claim grievance when rage has consumed both heart and mind." And if Diana recalls her myths, she will likely know exactly what Hercules is speaking of. Though in his world the rage that drove him to kill his wife and children was brought on by Hera's enchantments...which may not be true in Diana's own world. What Diana can recognize over in Hercules eyes is pain. She shakes her head softly, "Then the Hera of your world wronged you in such a way as the myths said. While in mine such things were just myth." She can make that jump then. In her world, Hera might be her benefactor and the protector of Themyscira, but she is well aware of the pettiness attributed to her Matron, and can readily accept it would overwhelm such things other. "I.. am sorry once more." "Ahhh, enough with these apologies. You've done me no harm, and even if I am not the Hercules you unfortunately know, I -am- Hercules, so you were not entirely mistaken." Hercules smiles brightly, and opens his mouth to speak, then closes it again, the smile dimming just a touch, "I fear you have now vexed me with an uncertainty I am rarely possessed of. Perhaps it would simply be best if we parted ways, though it pains me to say such a thing to one whose beauty rivals Aphrodite herself. I cannot help but feel my presence may bring you discomfort." These interdimensional encounters have entirely confused Diana, and will no doubt continue to do so. She nods assertively over at him, and growls, "Yes. We should depart. Immediately." If he means to pay her a compliment, boast, or is merely trying to flirt.. The fact he recognizes that he is bringing her discomfort is enough for the Amazon to nod once more, then rapidly try and depart. In a rare state of being flustered. True to his previous words, Hercules certainly isn't going to try to keep a woman from departing. He does watch Diana fly off, a thoughtful (for him) expression on his face as he reaches up and rubs at his beard. He heaves a heavy sigh, then turns about to continue on his way...and but a few moments later, that spritely tune of ancient days is once again whistling through the air.